The Cracklin Trail

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-- The cracklin at Porky's in Alexandria is not as good as the boudin, but they're still worth a try. This 4-year old store is making a name for itself in central Louisiana as the home to the region's best boudin and cracklin and if may indeed deserve the title. The cracklin here come in long strips and they are lightly seasoned and not possessing of much bite. CRUNCH on the other hand is something they excel at providing. The strips are mostly skin with fat playing a secondary role and meat being a bit more elusive. They cook them throughout the day so you're sure to get a fresh batch!

--- Porkalicious!!! Shockingly good. We didn't even get them hot, but these nuggets of fried pork perfection were awesome. They're gently seasoned and offer a great ratio of meat to fat to skin. The meat is cooked to the point where it gives some crunch, but not so much that it is too dry. This stop, just off of Interstate 10, is definitely worth a try!! It was nice that they had tiny bags ready to go.

-- A true delight! Perfectly seasoned. Perfectly crunchy, meaty, fatty, flavorful and juicy. These are some of the best cracklin you're likely to find. Anywhere! They tasted fresh and clean. Made us want to just keep reaching for another nugget all the way back to Lafayette. Juneau's is truly awesome.

-- Uncle Jesse cooks these golden nuggets up out back, behind his Hog Tails store in Fifth Ward (outside of Marksville). They hold more promise than they deliver. Though cooked fairly well, the bland seasoning did nothing to mask the less-than-fresh taste that punctuated these cracklings. And for a review of their boudin look here: Hog Tails Boudin

-- A CRACKLIN CUPCAKE???? Yes, indeed it is. Does it work? Well, you'll have to decide for yourself. However, in our opinion it certainly works better that you might think. With a delicious and moist sweet potato cake and a still-crunch cracklin top, these are a cake we look forward to sampling again and again.

-- Back on the Cracklin Trail and we encountered some problems: old,
soggy, fatty, and barely seasoned. No one is looking for cracklin like
this, so it is odder still that they have to have a sign asking people
to NOT put their hands in the cracklins!! There is little to redeem
these nuggets of mostly fat. Let's face it, cracklin are already
something we shouldn't really be eating, so if they're yucky why do it
at all? That's our advice. Enjoy your time on the Trail!!

THE CRACKLIN TRAIL

Crunchy chunks of fried pork skin, fat, and meat: seasoned to perfection and served warm from the black pot. Cracklins are one of the most decadent snacks around and no matter what you call them (cracklin, cracklins, crackling, or gratons) they are delicious. Cracklins begin as small cubes of pork skin, fat, and meat. They are fried for upwards of an hour in hog lard and then cooled and re-fried until they "pop."

You may find high-end chefs and culinary personalities incorporating versions of cracklin into their cooking, but at its heart these nuggets of soul satisfying comfort food are a Louisiana creation and the best-of-the-best are found in the Pelican State.

The Cracklin Trail puts you in the driver's seat to find the best homemade cracklins around.